


Take Me Home

by Wle0416



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Angst with a Happy Ending, Boys Need to Talk, Good Friends, M/M, Miscommunication, mentions of drinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:42:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27478255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wle0416/pseuds/Wle0416
Summary: Michael and Alex can never find the right time to approach the other and start talking.Or, five times Michael & Alex walk away and one time they walk forward.
Relationships: Michael Guerin/Alex Manes
Comments: 10
Kudos: 108





	Take Me Home

**Author's Note:**

> I just came up with this on the fly and just had to write it down. I've been watching too many made-for-tv movies lately, which are all MISUNDERSTANDINGS! and ANGST! at every turn, but with a fluffy ending.

1\. 

"You don't know Alex like I do! I can't waltz in there and screw up his life right now. That's not what he needs," Michael tells Isobel as they head to his truck after ditching the Pony during Alex's hauntingly beautiful song.

Isobel stops walking when they reach the truck, arms folded across her chest, and her patented 'Shut up and listen' face glaring at Michael under the dusty lights of the parking lot. "Michael, were you even listening? That song was about you. I know it was. How can you just walk away from that?"

Michael rubs his eyes, willing himself to remain calm, even though his insides are screaming at him, and he feels like he's going to throw up if he doesn't put distance between himself and the freaking Wild Pony. "I was listening, Iz. And I meant what I said. It's just not the right time for us. I broke up with Maria a few days ago. And he's on a date or something! He didn't even know I was going to be there tonight. Maybe it's about me, but he wasn't singing that song for me."

"So what? You heard it, and look at yourself; you're a mess! You need to talk to him. I mean it, Michael. After everything we just went through. Everything Max is going through; you want to throw away this chance?" Isobel isn't yelling, but her words are forceful, and they cut deep into Michael's soul.

He hears her, and he knows she's not wrong, but he's not just confused about, well, everything, he's also scared. He knows he and Alex can't even attempt to move forward without reconciling the past, and that's not going to happen overnight.

There is just no way in hell Michael would survive having Alex and losing him again. He won't risk it, but dammit if Isobel isn't making sense. They need to talk, and a talk won't fix everything tonight, but it's step one. They can take the smallest of steps if that's what Alex wants, but they have to start moving.

"I don't even know what to say," Michael says meekly.

Isobel smiles ever so faintly and finally looks less threatening and more loving. "Just speak from the heart."

It takes several more minutes for Michael to get up the nerve to go back into the bar. He can hear a pretty terrible rendition of 'Take Me Home, Country Road' filtering out of the walls, and he takes a long, deep breath, full of promise before opening the doors.

He scans the open area for Alex, but he sees the vibrant blue hair first. Forrest is leaning against the bar with his hand outstretched like he's waiting to catch a bartender's attention. Alex isn't near him, and Michael stalks further into the bar hoping he can steal Alex away for a few minutes before Forrest can even see them.

But he's not that lucky.

Michael freezes by the opposite end of the bar as he watches Alex emerge from the restroom area with Greg and head straight to Forrest. Michael watches Alex approach Forrest from behind and place his hand on the small of his back before leaning in to whisper into the man's ear.

Before Forrest can turn around to respond, Michael spins on his heels, the off-key sounds of a John Denver classic carrying him out the door.

2.

"Man, you broke up with him over text message?" Kyle asks, trying to hold back his chuckle as he takes a big gulp of his ice water.

Alex shakes his head and swallows his French fries before speaking. "No, you can't break up with someone you're not actually dating. We were just hanging out, but it wasn't working."

"Still," Kyle begins, "ending things over text is cold-blooded, Alex."

It's the first Friday in weeks Alex has had a night to himself now that he and Forrest are no longer hanging out, and the last thing he wants to do is still talk about the history buff with his best friend over hamburgers and fries at The Crashdown.

"He doesn't like to talk on the phone, and it was just one of those things I had to do," Alex shrugs, leaning back in the booth and stretching his muscles. "He's not a bad person. And we had some fun times, but he just isn't-"

"Guerin?"

"No!" Alex bites back stronger than he means to. "He isn't the one. This is not about Guerin."

Kyle looks skeptical, and he leans across the table, his voice dropping an octave. "Isn't it always about Guerin?"

Even while "with" Forrest, he knows his thoughts were always with Michael because that's the reality of the life Alex leads. He'll always be connected to Michael, and he will forever be on his mind. And pretending differently isn't an option for him anymore. They've been through too much to deny the connection, but that didn't mean they needed to fall back into bad habits either.

"Speak of the devil," Kyle mutters softly, looking past Alex to the front window.

Alex turns a smidge to catch a whirling maze of curls bounce through the front doors. Michael looks heavenly, a little dirty but all man, just the way Alex likes him. He looks tired, and Alex immediately wonders if he's been sleeping okay and taking care of himself the way he should.

They haven't talked a ton since Crash Con, and barely at all since they locked eyes during Alex's song, and Michael promptly ran away.

"Holy shit," Alex says out loud.

Michael heads right for the bar, having called in an order ahead of time. And he doesn't notice Kyle and Alex back in the corner watching his every move.

"You should talk to him," Kyle states plainly and with raised eyebrows.

"Kyle, I just told you. Me ending things with Forrest is not about Guerin. There's nothing to talk about." He continues to look at Michael over his shoulder, and he can't help but smile a bit when he sees Michael flash that cocky grin at the girl ringing out his order.

"And I'm telling you as your best friend these days, that for whatever reason all roads lead back to Michael Guerin, and you need to get your ass over there and at least say hello. You need to talk to him."

Alex looks back at Kyle and rolls his eyes playfully, considering his words. On the one hand, there is no reason for Alex to stroll over there because they really aren't on the greatest of terms right now, and he should just let him enjoy his Saturday night in peace. But on the other hand, it's Michael. It feels wrong to be this close and not reach out to him.

"Fine. I'll say hello and be right back," Alex says as he starts to slide out of the booth. He smooths his sweater down and slowly makes the trek over to the counter; Michael still wholly unaware of his proximity.

He's a few feet to Michael's blind spot when the waitress comes out with a bag that she hands to him. "Two orders of Saturn's Rings and two Crashdown burgers! Hot date this evening?"

Alex can only make out the side of Michael's face, but he can hear the smirk in every syllable when he replies. "You know it."

It freezes Alex where he stands, and he turns to walk back to Kyle as quickly as his legs will allow him.

"What the hell, Manes?" Kyle looks almost worried, eyes wide and staring at Alex, who knows his face is a twisted mess of sadness, embarrassment, and anguish.

He doesn't answer Kyle's question, choosing instead to pick up a handful of fries and slide them through his Milk-y Way Shake. He stuffs them into his mouth in an exaggerated fashion, feeling ice cream dribble down his chin.

The action does what it's intended to do and shuts Kyle Valenti all the way up.

3.

"I can not believe you dragged me to a flea market at seven in the morning on a Saturday," Michael mumbles, eyes half-closed as he follows behind Max through the frenzied outdoor market.

It's a chilly morning, and after a wild night at Planet 7 that involved Michael playing third wheel to Isobel and a plethora of people, there was nothing Michael wanted more than to sleep in and get a late greasy meal in town. But no, Max showed up at the ass crack of dawn and told him he wanted to get a couple of things for his house, and he needed Michael's help.

"Come on, brother. We'll be quick, and then I promise we can get breakfast. My treat!" Max exclaims, a pep in his step as he walks around and peeks into the variety of tents set. 

"Yeah, it is your treat," Michael scoffs. "You and Iz have been awfully needy lately. You know she's been making me have Friday night dates with her? Last weekend it was Crashdown food and a movie marathon. And last night was watching her get number after number at Planet 7."

Max laughs heading right for a tent that has a ton of beautiful rugs hanging up inside.

It isn't particularly big inside, so Michael stays outside and does some people watching while Max peruses the rugs.

He hears his voice first before he sees him, and the sound brings him to life better than any overpriced coffee Max can buy for him that morning. The sound runs right through his veins and into his heart, making him smile before he even knows his lips are moving.

Peeking around a tent a few yards down, Michael's eyes land on Alex, who's dressed to kill in skin-tight black jeans and the form-fitting leather jacket that does things to Michael's nether regions. He looks criminally good, and Michael finds himself moving forward before he can stop himself.

He would have been on Alex any second if he didn't catch sight of Forrest walking up behind Alex with his adorable dog in tow. Alex seems a bit taken aback when Forrest tapes him on the shoulder, but he recovers quickly and leans in to awkwardly give Forrest a one-armed hug making sure not to crush the beagle in his arms.

Michael can't tell by Alex's body language whether this is a planned meeting, but it doesn't seem to matter as the two chat amiably and then make their way to the open area where some food vendors are set-up.

His heart throbs a bit at the sight of the pair, and while he would have loved to talk to Alex, to hear his voice and see those lips hopefully curved up into a smile, he's most certainly not going to interrupt his date.

He turns around and runs into Max outside of the rug tent.

"There you are!" Max yells, clasping Michael on the shoulder.

"Uh, yeah. You almost done? I need caffeine, like, right now."

4\. 

"Come on, buttercup. Your Uber is waiting!" Maria is trying to talk to Alex in her stern voice, but she's failing. Every other word is laced with a laugh, and Alex lets out a snort as he slides off his barstool.

It wasn't like him to imbibe indulgently in the middle of the day on a Tuesday, but he had the day off, and he did not feel like sitting in his house alone. He would much rather see a friendly face and get away from himself for a few hours.

"Why are you kicking me out?" Alex asks, leaning across the bar and trying miserably to look upset.

"I'm not kicking you out. You're always welcome here. But you look sleepy, and I think a mid-day nap would do you some good," Maria says kindly, rubbing a hand down his cheek.

"My house is so lonely," Alex says under his breath, but he knows Maria can hear him, and she gives him a sympathetic grin. Alex lets himself smile back at his friend and offers a small wave before turning to stride out of the Pony.

The sunshine hits him first, and he staggers back not because of the alcohol but the sheer brightness of the sun. It feels good against his skin, and he's suddenly hit with that wave of tiredness Maria was talking about.

He sees his Uber in the lot, a black SUV, with a man named Merv behind the wheel. But as he makes his way over, he stops when he sees that familiar Chevy in the lot. Alex can make out Michael's form anywhere, no matter how far away or how cloudy his eyesight.

Alex's feet start dredging towards the truck almost against his will, and a million thoughts start swirling through his head _. I miss you. Can we please talk? Will you hug me? I miss you_.

It's not until he gets closer that he notices another body in the truck with Michael. He can't make out who it is, maybe Isobel if he squints hard enough, but it doesn't matter really because he's not going to bombard him in the middle of the Pony parking lot when he's with somebody else.

No, this isn't the right moment to talk to Michael, Alex thinks, so he turns around and walks to Merv's Suburban.

But tomorrow is another day.

5\. 

Sunday mornings are the best times to hit the grocery store, with half the town at church and the other half still in bed sleeping off their Saturday night bender.

The airstream doesn't have much cabinet space, but there's enough room for cans and boxed goods, and his small fridge has enough space for the essentials. He's usually in and out of the store in under twenty minutes, but he lingers a bit longer that morning for no discernible reason.

He begins to think it's fate when he turns down aisle seven and sees Alex examining a box of cereal.

As usual, he looks devilishly handsome, and Michael wonders if his hair is still as soft as he remembers. God, he wants nothing more than to walk over and find out, though he knows that would not be the most appropriate thing to do.

They need to talk. Whether Alex has a boyfriend or not, Michael wants to be a part of Alex's world. He's sick and tired of existing in a world where Alex Manes is not a part of his daily life.

He makes his way down the aisle, Alex still engrossed in the caloric content of Raisin Bran, when Michael hears Alex's phone start to ring. He watches Alex extract the phone from his pocket and grin at the screen.

"Hey, you," Alex says into the phone.

Michael starts to retreat backward slowly, hoping Alex won't catch sight of him and doesn't turn his back on the man until he's entirely out of the aisle. He was going to grab some Corn Flakes as a quick breakfast option for the week, but he can't bear to go back and potentially see Alex's softest grins reserved for someone else.

If he had stayed another few seconds, he would have heard Maria's high-pitched squeal when Alex put the phone on speaker. But he's gone off to aisle eleven, ready for a week of steel-cut oats in the morning.

+1. 

It's another warm day in Roswell, and the streets are flooded with people walking around and enjoying the beautiful day. Michael and Alex are amongst the crowds, Alex making his way to his car after grabbing a coffee and Michael carrying a bag of tools he had to pick up from the local hardware store.

They spot each other simultaneously from across the street, and Alex lifts his hand to wave, while Michael tips his Stetson down with a wink. They both start walking toward the other, and they finally link up on the sidewalk near the UFO Emporium.

"Hey," they say in unison and then nervously laugh.

"Hi," Alex says after a beat.

"Hi," Michael replies.

"It's so funny to run into you today. I've seen you a couple of times around town the last few weeks, but it just hasn't felt like the best time to approach you," Alex states, a giddy little smile on his face.

"Really? Um, same actually," Michael says, less giddy and more fidgety. "Are you headed to meet Forrest?"

Alex shakes his head authoritatively. "No, no. Forrest and I aren't together, Michael. We haven't been for a long while. Just friends. And truthfully, we never really were together."

"Oh. That's great!" Michael beams but then looks flustered when he notices the bewildered look on Alex's face. "I mean, that's not great. It's sad for you, right? Unless it's not sad, and you're happier now? You look good, um, I mean, you look happy. I think. Are you happy?"

"Guerin, oh my god!" Alex barely gets out through his laughter. "I'm good. And I am happy. What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Seeing someone now?"

"No. I spend all my personal time with Iz or Max. But mostly Iz," Michael states simply. "But I think our Friday night dates and Tuesday lunches are coming to an end now that she's getting back into the dating world."

Alex seems to think that over for a few seconds before speaking again. "I miss you."

"I miss you too, Alex."

"We should talk sometime."

"Can I hug you?" Michael blurts out and steps closer to Alex.

Alex answers by leaning in and pressing his chest against Michael's. He's careful not to let his coffee spill while still holding Michael tightly.

Michael, meanwhile, discards his shopping bag and holds onto Alex hard, pulling him as close as he can.

Both men close their eyes, oblivious to the bustling sounds of conversations and footsteps around them, content to stand like that forever if they could.

"Damn, I missed you, Alex."

"I know. It's about time we met each other in the middle."

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not even sure this is any good lol! But as always, thank you for reading! ❤


End file.
